Semiconductor chips are typically fabricated by forming an array of chips on silicon wafers and dicing the wafer to produce individual chips. The individual chips are then attached to chip carriers, ceramic or organic modules or circuit boards using various techniques, the most common methods including solder reflow or wire bonding. One well known solder technique uses the reflow of lead-tin solder bumps (also known as C4 or controlled collapse chip connection bonding) formed on the chip pads at wafer level to attach the chip. The technique known as wire bonding or tape automated bonding (TAB) may be done by etching bumps on the leads or applying bumps (typically aluminum) to the chips. It is understood in the industry that when reference is made to bumped chips, it usually refers to lead-tin solder bumps, or TAB bumped chips. The bumped chips may be mounted to carriers either individually (single chip modules) or in groups (multi-chip modules).
Test apparatus (assemblies) for electronic devices such as semiconductor chips typically takes the form of an array of test probes which align with the array of electrical contact points on the device to be tested. These probe arrangements, however, have limitations, including, for example, a physical limitation due to the size differential between the relatively less dense pattern of contacts or conductors of the printed circuit board used for electrical testing and the higher dense pattern of contact sites (contacts) on the semiconductor chip. Because of this differential, there is a need to “fan out” the circuit lines in the interposer from the higher density chip contact location to the less dense contact location of the underlying circuitized substrate, such as a printed circuit board (hereinafter also referred to as a PCB). Thus, with the increasing density of contacts on chips, for example, it becomes more and more difficult to fabricate probe arrays with probe densities adequate to make proper electrical connection to a chip, wafer or substrate. Another limitation to known probe arrangements resides in the limitations on the clock speed of such connections. Typically, the clock speed of such arrangements is limited to no more than around 400 MHz. Yet another limitation, related to the first above, is the limited space for each of the test probes to effectively engage the respective contact on the device. Finally, yet another limitation is the need to be able to effectively orient the interposer on the test PCB with sound contact to the PCB's upper surface conductors.
Examples of various testing assemblies and other interposer and the like structures are described and illustrated in the following documents. The listing thereof is not an admission that any are prior art to the present invention.
In Published Patent Application 2006/0108679, there is described the fabrication and testing of a chip with a package having connecting pins as well as mounting the package on a board. In order to combine the advantages of a package with inline connecting pins with the advantages of a package with offset connecting pins, the package is fabricated with inline connecting pins and inserted into a test socket for testing. Immediately before mounting on the board, at least one connecting pin, preferably every second connecting pin, of the package is bent inward by a bending tool so as to achieve an offset arrangement of the connecting pins. The package is preferably mounted on the board using the bending tool. A test socket is sufficient for the purpose of testing the chip. A guide brace, for example, is suitable as a packaging means. This document states that since every second connecting pin is not bent inward immediately before insertion of the connecting pins, no subsequent corrective alignment of the offset connecting pins is required.
In Published Patent Application 2006/0091535 there is described a bonding pad formed on an IC (integrated circuit) chip for electrically coupling the chip to another device or component, and associated methods of manufacturing the bonding pad. In one embodiment, the bonding pad comprises a bonding portion having a bonding surface configured to receive an electrical connector. The bonding pad further comprises a probing portion having a probing surface adjacent and electrically coupled to the bonding surface, and configured to receive a probe tip for testing to the operation of the chip. In this embodiment, the bonding pad comprises a first planar dimension measured across the bonding portion and the adjacent probing portion, where the bonding portion further comprises a second planar dimension measured substantially perpendicular to the first planar dimension, and the probing portion comprises a third planar dimension measured substantially perpendicular to the first planar dimension and being less than the second planar dimension.
In Published Patent Application 2006/0001439, there is described an “interconnect” for testing semiconductor components which includes a substrate, and interconnect contacts on the substrate for electrically engaging terminal contacts on the components. This “interconnect” also includes one or more cavities in the substrate which form flexible segments proximate to the interconnect contacts. The flexible segments permit the interconnect contacts to move independently in the z-direction to accommodate variations in the height and planarity of the terminal contacts. In addition, the cavities can be pressurized, or alternately filled with a polymer material, to adjust a compliancy of the flexible segments. Different embodiments of the interconnect contacts include: metallized recesses for retaining the terminal contacts, metallized projections for penetrating the terminal contacts, metallized recesses with penetrating projections, and leads contained on a polymer tape and cantilevered over metallized recesses. The interconnect can be used to construct a wafer level test system for testing wafer sized components, such as wafers and boards, or to construct a die level test system for testing die sized components, such as unpackaged dice and chip scale packages.
In Published Patent Application 2006/0033516, there is described a probe card assemblage for simultaneously testing one or more integrated circuit chips including an interposer having on one surface a plurality of protruding contact elements for electrically contacting one or more chips of a wafer positioned atop a layer of compliant material, and arrayed in a pattern corresponding to an array of chip pads, a series of conductive vias through the electrically insulating interposer which connect the chip contact elements with an arrangement of leads terminating in a universal arrangement of connectors on the second surface, and a probe card with connectors mating to those on the interposer. The connectors on the interposer are secured to those on the probe card, thereby providing a vertical probe assemblage which makes use of ultrasonic energy to minimize scrub or over travel. The universal probe card is specific to a tester configuration and common to a family of circuits to be tested.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,905,589, there is described a method of making a circuitized substrate in which a commoning layer is used to form multiple, substantially vertically aligned conductive openings in a multilayered component such as a laminate interposer for coupling a chip to a printed circuit board or the like. The structure, including such a chip and circuit board is ideally suited for use within an information handling system
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,727,717, there is described an apparatus for testing an integrated circuit chip which includes a printed circuit device having connector pads, contacts, and traces extending between at least some of the connector pads and the contacts. The printed circuit device has openings there-through, intersecting the contacts, that are adapted to receive the pins extending from the integrated circuit chip so that the contacts may electrically contact the pins. The apparatus further includes a connector electrically interconnected with at least some of the connector pads. The apparatus is adapted to be disposed between the integrated circuit chip and a chip socket, such that the pins extending from the integrated circuit chip may be inserted through the printed circuit device and into the chip socket.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,529,022, there is described a wafer testing interposer. The interposer comprises a support having an upper and a lower surface. One or more solder bumps are on the lower surface. One or more first electrical terminals are on the upper surface, substantially corresponding to the position of the solder bumps, and forming a pattern. One or more first electrical pathways pass through the surface of the support and connect the solder bumps to the first electrical terminals. One or more second electrical terminals are on the upper surface of the support. The second electrical terminals are larger in size and pitch than the first electrical terminals, and these are located within the pattern formed by the first electrical terminals. One or more second electrical pathways connect the first electrical pathways to the second electrical pathways.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,383,005, there is described an integrated circuit socket having a contact pad. The integrated circuit socket includes a base unit, consisting of a base, contact pins and an elastomer. The contact pins provide electrical contact of the other elements and the elastomer provides the compactness of the assembly. The socket further includes an interposer, consisting of a flexible film, a stiffener and a stop layer wherein the contact pad of the flexible film may contact with the solder ball of the IC device to buffer the pressure formed by a tight contact when the IC device is moving downward. The socket also consists of an adapter unit and a cover.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,333,563, there is described an electrical interconnection package and a method for using same which allegedly increases the fatigue life of a Ball Grid Array (BGA) electrical interconnection. (Such BGAs include, understandably, solder balls of the type mentioned above, and interconnect components of the type also mentioned above.). This described structure includes an organic interposer using a high modulus under-fill material to couple an electronic “module.” The organic interposer is then joined to an organic board (PCB) using standard joining processes. The “module” can be removed from the organic board at any time by removing the organic interposer using standard rework techniques.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,309,915, there is described a method of making a semiconductor chip assembly, including providing a dielectric element with a plurality of electrically conductive terminals, disposing an expander ring over the dielectric element so that a semiconductor chip on the dielectric layer is disposed in a central opening in the expander ring, and disposing an encapsulant in the gap between the expander ring and the semiconductor chip. The size of the gap is controlled to minimize the pressure exerted on the leads by the elastomer as it expands and contracts in response to changes in temperature. The semiconductor chip and expander ring may also be connected to a heat sink or thermal spreader with a compliant adhesive.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,156,484, there is described a sculpted probe pad and a gray scale etching process for making arrays of such probe pads on a thin flexible interposer for testing the electrical integrity of microelectronic devices at terminal metallurgy. Also used in the etching process is a fixture for holding the substrate and a mask for single step photolithographic exposure. The result is an array of test probes of pre-selected uniform topography, which make contact at all points to be tested simultaneously and nondestructively. The pad is retained within a dielectric body and includes a “domed” portion and an opposing “sculpted” portion which is formed using etching, resulting in “features” having “sculpted” areas. Both portions are part of an integral structure, such that these are of a single metallic body and arranged in an opposing orientation with one portion being directly opposite the other.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,051,982, there is described a test apparatus including at least one probe member precisely aligned using two spaced apart means (e.g., thin layers) such that the probe can effectively engage a conductor (e.g., solder ball) on an electronic module (e.g., ball grid array package). A compressible member (e.g., elastomeric body) is used to bias the probe toward the conductor. Various probe cross-sectional configurations are also provided. As taught herein, the probe electrically contacts one of the spaced apart means, also conductive, to thus form a circuit which can extend externally of the apparatus (e.g., for connecting to appropriate testing equipment).
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,896,037, there is described a test adapter for actively testing chip packages such as a ball grid array in operation with a printed circuit board. The test adapter provides accessible test points for monitoring input and output signals of an operating chip package. The adapter includes an interface adapter board having a plurality of contact pads disposed on its surface, in a pattern corresponding to the footprint of the chip package. A plurality of contact terminals protrude from the bottom of the interface adapter board and are connected to the contact pads on the upper surface, and are configured to engage a receiving socket mounted to a printed circuit board. A plurality of test pins are also connected to the contact pins such that test probes can be connected to the test pins and the input/output signals associated with the chip package can be monitored by the probes.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,880,590, there is described an apparatus for providing temporary connections to a flip-chip style chip having solder bumps or pre-forms protruding therefrom for testing and bum-in while avoiding distortion of the bumps or pre-forms and avoiding wear and damage to a test or bum-in jig such as a ball grid array. The apparatus uses a resilient bucketed interposer which includes recesses which have a depth greater than the protrusion of the solder bumps or pre-forms and, preferably are narrowed at one side to a tear-drop shape. Metallization in the recesses and contacts on the interposer which mate with the jig are preferably textured with dendrites to be self-cleaning. A beveled tongue and groove arrangement translates a slight compressive force to a slight shearing force between the interposer and the chip to ensure good connections to the protruding solder bumps on the chip. Any deformation of the bumps thus tends to only improve accuracy of positioning of the bumps and avoids solder voiding due to compression distortion. Full bum-in and functional testing can then identify “known good” chips or dies before package completion, particularly to avoid rework of modular circuit packages.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,701,085, there is described an apparatus for use in testing wire-bond or flip-chip connected integrated circuits which includes a housing with a top side, a bottom side, and a perimeter region defining a housing central aperture. The housing further includes flip-chip pads to accommodate flip-chip solder connections to a flip-chip integrated circuit during a first test period and wire-bond pads to accommodate wire-bond connections to a wire-bond integrated circuit during a second test period. There are connector pins on the bottom side of the housing for connection with a printed circuit board. The printed circuit board includes an access aperture which is aligned with the housing central aperture. This configuration allows a test probe to access a flip-chip integrated circuit positioned within the housing. It also allows a heat sink to be used when the housing incorporates a wire-bonded integrated circuit.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,641,945, there is described a contacting structure with respect to a spherical bump in which the spherical bump is to be contacted with a contact pin, the contact pin including a contacting portion supported by a resilient support element. The contacting portion is arranged in opposite relation to that part of a spherical surface of the spherical bump other than a lower-most point thereof. The contacting portion has a projection capable of pressing into the spherical surface of the spherical bump, and also has a pressure receiving surface for setting an amount by which the projection presses into the spherical surface.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,559,445, there is described an IC test adapter for adapting the pin configuration of a chip carrier for use with test equipment. The IC test adapter includes a case, printed circuit board, electrical contact pad, pin grid array and bracket.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,532,612, there are described methods and reusable test carriers which provide for bum-in test of semiconductor integrated circuit devices. Methods for temporary flip-chip mounting of IC wafers or dice (chips) use a hierarchy of solder melting points in combination with improved reusable carrier substrates. IC chip wafers having high-melting-temperature flip-chip terminals are coated with a predetermined volume of a sacrificial solder having a significantly lower melting temperature. A reusable temporary carrier is provided, in a range of sizes adapted for a wafer, small numbers of IC dice, or an individual die. For full-wafer bum-in, the reusable carrier has edge connector terminals. For testing individual dice or a small number of dice, the reusable carrier has conductive elements in a pattern matching each IC die's terminal pattern. The same or opposite side of the reusable carrier has pins or a ball-grid array matching a conventional burn-in socket. A preferred reusable carrier consists of separable parts: a substrate customized to carry specific dice for burn-in, and a “universal” carrier package adapted to fit standard test sockets. After burn-in testing, the known good dice are removed by a low-temperature reflow, and attached to permanent substrates by conventional high-temperature reflow. The test carriers are re-usable after cleaning. A carrier structure similar to the preferred separable structure is specially adapted for testing and/or permanent packaging of IC chips which utilize wire-bond connections.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,528,159, there is described a method and apparatus for testing semi-conductor chips which include Input/Output (I/O) contacts. The apparatus is provided with an interposer that has contacts corresponding to the contacts on the semiconductor chip. Both the chip and the interposer contacts can be any known type including metal ball, bumps, or tabs or may be provided with dendritic surfaces. The chip contacts are first brought into relatively loose temporary contact with the contacts on the interposer and then a compressive force greater that five grams per chip contact is applied to the chip to force the chip contacts into good electrical contact with the interposer contacts. Testing of the chip is then performed. The tests may include heating of the chip as well as the application of signals to the chip contacts. After testing, the chip is removed from the substrate.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,493,237, there is described a testing apparatus, preferably an LGA (land grid array) bum-in test socket, for an integrated chip. The apparatus, arranged for mounting on a planar electronic device, such as a printed circuit board, includes a frame member for mounting to the planar electronic device, where the frame member includes a central opening extending between first and second surfaces, and dimensionally sized to receive the chip. Recesses are provided for receiving an electronic interface member mounting plural flexible electrical connectors, such as an elastomeric connector, as known in the art, for engaging the traces or pads of the chip to the planar device during testing. Further, plural recesses extend from at least the first surface, where each recess includes a compression spring. Positioned over and for engagement with the frame member is a floatably mounted force applying member having first and second parallel surfaces. A central opening, concentric with the central opening of the frame member is present. Additionally, plural posts extend from the second parallel surface for receipt in respective recesses. Finally, camming levers are provided for urging the force applying member toward the frame member, along with pivotal pusher members responsive to the camming levers to engage and secure the chip during testing thereof.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,477,161, there is described a test clip, or test adapter, for connecting leads of a tester to terminals on a packaged integrated circuit. Spacers on the test clip, which act to precisely separate the contact pins, are formed separately using a stamping process. Spacers may be formed having a thickness which can be controlled to approximately one mil. Each of the individual spacers is sandwiched between two contact pins to provide precise spacing of the contact pins. A bar is inserted through a hole in each of the spacers and contact pins to form a linear array of contact pins and spacers. Two or four (as appropriate) of the linear arrays of contact pins/spacers are then mounted on a test clip body sized for a specific integrated circuit package. Each of the spacers may include an L-shaped extension which is urged under the integrated circuit package when the test clip is pressed onto the package so as to firmly secure the test clip to the package.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,391,995, there is described a spring biased test probe for testing electrical printed circuit boards which includes an elongated tubular barrel having an open end, and a compression spring within a spring seating end of the barrel, opposite from its open end. A plunger inserted in the barrel reciprocates during testing, sliding within the barrel and biased by the spring pressure. The plunger includes a forward end portion outside the barrel, a slidable tail portion that contacts the spring and slides within a barrel, and an intermediate twisted portion between the forward end and the tail portion of the plunger. The forward end of the plunger has a probe tip configured to make frictional pressure contact with the board to be tested. The intermediate portion is twisted about its axis to form a spiral with helical grooves contacted by circumferentially spaced apart crimps in the side of the barrel, adjacent the open end of the barrel. The plunger is rotated about its axis by its contact with the crimps as the plunger travels axially in the barrel. The twisted intermediate section of the plunger and the forward end of the plunger extend outside the barrel which is contained in an elongated tubular outer receptacle. The forward end of the plunger includes an elongated enlarged diameter guide bearing section between the probe tip and the twisted section of the plunger.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,207,585, there is described a thin interface pellicle probe for making temporary or permanent interconnections to pads or bumps on a semiconductor device wherein the pads or bumps may be arranged in high density patterns. The electrode for each pad or bump has a raised portion for penetrating the surface of the pad or bump to create sidewalls to provide a clean contact surface. The electrode also has a recessed surface to limit the penetration of the raised portion. The electrodes may be affixed to a thin flexible membrane to permit each contact to have independent movement over a limited distance and of a limited rotation. In one embodiment (FIG. 22), the electrode's opposing ends are offset from one another to permit the electrode to “rotate” slightly when force is applied, resulting in a desired wiping engagement.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,177,436, there is described a test fixture for receiving an integrated circuit chip mounted in a carrier package and for providing contacts with electrical conductor pads of the package to facilitate electrical testing thereof. The test fixture comprises a plurality of contact members mounted to a spring-loaded plunger. Each contact member includes a strip of conductive fingers with protruding contacts for springing engagement with the conductor pads of the carrier when the plunger is depressed. The test fixture resides in a cavity of a housing unit and is aligned with a central aperture therein. In operation, a ram holding the carrier lowers it through the central aperture of the housing unit and onto the plunger. The carrier is then pressed against the plunger, causing it to depress. This allows the carrier conductor pads to frictionally engage the protruding contacts of the conductive fingers, thus effectuating electrical contact.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,548,451, there is described a pinless connector interposer for making densely populated, inexpensive, simple, reliable, self-wiping connections between components used in semiconductor packaging such as semiconductor carrying substrates, flexible and rigid printed circuit boards and cards. The connector interposer comprises an elastomeric base member in which deformable protrusions are formed on both the top and bottom surface of the base member, wherein the protrusions correspond to contact pads of semiconductor packaging components. An electrically conductive metal coated flexible overlay is bonded to the base member, forming electrically conductive tab elements, enabling a multitude of connections to be made to a semiconductor package.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,476,433, there is described a continuity testing fixture for simultaneously probing of microelectronic chip site pads having a cluster of probe pins extending from a top plate in the same orientation as the pads. The probe pins are individually urged into compliance by a resilient pad disposed beneath the pins forcing a sharp end into contiguous engagement and allowing an external signal to determine continuity of the work-piece. Individual insulated wires are attached to each probe on one end and are encompassed within a cavity in the body terminating at a connector near the edge of the fixture for linking to the remote test source. In another embodiment, the probe pins are hollow and contain an insulated wire allowing an independent signal to be introduced by way of the connector through the pads indicating both compliance of the probe and continuity of the workpiece simultaneously and independently.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,105,970, there is described an electrical testing pin characterized by a crown with an inner contact area and a plurality of outer contact areas, the former extending longitudinally beyond the latter. The pin includes a crown with a multiplicity of spaced sharp contacts including a central sharp contact and a multiplicity of sharp contacts spaced there-around in a contact set, each contact of the set being separated from adjacent contacts by continuous radial grooves extending uninterruptedly at an angle to define two of the sharp contacts of the set and also to allow for self-cleaning.
As defined herein-below, the present invention represents an improvement in the testing of semiconductor chips by providing an interposer which operates in an effective manner to interconnect the higher density pattern of chip contact sites to the less dense pattern of conductors on a printed circuit board such that the board can then be utilized to provide test signals and effectively test the chip. The interposer may be removably positioned on the board and thus usable with other boards, as well as other chips. Other advantageous features of this invention are discernible from the teachings below. It is believed that such an invention will represent a significant advancement in the art.